The XR class are a class of diesel locomotives built by

Freight Australia Freight Australia was an Australian railway company that purchased the V/Line Freight business from the Government of Victoria in 1999. Initially known as Freight Victoria, it operated rail freight services and controlled non-urban rail track in ...

and

Pacific National Pacific National is one of Australia's largest rail freight businesses. History In February 2002, National Rail Corporation, National Rail's freight operations and rollingstock (owned by the Government of Australia, Federal, Government of New ...

South Dynon Locomotive Depot South Dynon Locomotive Depot is an Australian locomotive depot in Melbourne, purpose built for the servicing of diesel and electric locomotives by the Victorian Railways opening in July 1961. It was built adjacent to the Dynon marshalling yards ...

History

Between 2002 and 2004,

rebuilt six X class locomotives with engines cascaded from

G class G class or Class G may refer to: Locomotives * NZR G class (1928), a type of steam locomotive used in New Zealand * Tasmanian Government Railways G class, a class of 0-4-2T steam locomotive used in Australia * V/Line G class, a class of diese ...

locomotives, larger radiators, and a new cab to provide better driver visibility. The first six (XR550 - XR555) were converted from X38, X35, X40, X33, X34 and X32 respectively. A seventh (XR556) was planned to be converted from X36 but never eventuated. A further three (XR557 - XR559) were built in 2004/05 by Freight Australia's successor,

, as new-builds. In 2020, several were placed in store due to a poor grain harvest. As at October 2022, all nine were active, seven on the broad gauge and two (XR558 and XR559) on standard gauge. As of November 2023 all are on BG except XR559 Australia Wide Fleet List ''Motive Power'' issue 144 November 2022 page 69 The class are mechanically similar to the later XRB class

B unit B, or b, is the second letter of the Latin-script alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''bee'' (pronounced ), plural ''bees''. It re ...

References

External links

{{VRLocos, state=collapsed Broad gauge locomotives in Australia Co-Co locomotives Diesel-electric locomotives of Australia Pacific National diesel locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 2004 Standard gauge locomotives of Australia XR class